Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-03-31
AMONG THE ALEUTS.
Hunting Sea-Otter Along the Shores OF
Oonalaska Island, Alaska.

OOnalaska Island, Alaska.
The most desirable fur obtained in
this region, and in fact the most desir-
able in the world, is the sea-otter, which
is by law hunted o. natives only, (2)
by white men who have married native
women, or (3) by whites who have
taken up permanent residence in the
country. This law was passed for the
purpose of protecting the Aleuts in tho
sole enjoyment of hunting the sea-
otter, which furnishes them their only
means of support. 1t is, however,
easily evaded by INSCRIPTIONS white
hunters, and it seems now as if the
otter, which is at best one of the shyest
animals known, will be either exter-
minated or frightened away from these
islands by the greed and rapacity of
these hunters, who kill old and young,
male and female indiscriminately.
During the last season only five sea-
otter were taken by the natives of At
tou; and were it not that the Alaska
Commercial Company axes care of
these poor people they would be utter
| ly without means of subsistence. To
make the matter harder for the natives,
the law forbidding them the possession
of breech-loading arms is strictly en-
forced, and they are compelled to hunt
the otter armed only with spears or
firearms of obsolete pattern, while the
white hunters are allowed to use breech-
loading arms of the latest manufacture.
The ambition of the young Aleut is to
become a great sea-otter hunter, and
all his energies are bent in perfecting
himself in the various arts of his pro-
fession. Where there is no choice, it is
wonderful to observe how eagerly the
young man looks forward to the time
when his turn shall come to 90 out
with the hunters after the shy animals.
Every attention is paid to the details
of the equipment Of the hunting party,
and when the storms of winter have
sufficiently abated to allow the party
to embark in their little bidarkaS, they
sally forth singly or in pairs to meet in
some secluded spot, far removed from
any settlement, which experience has
proved to be likely place to find their
quarry. Arriving at their rendezvous,
the party lands and makes camp. No
fires are lighted nor any thing done in
the way of making shelter for them
selves, which might brighten the wary
otter, The place usually selected for
camp is in some secluded bay of the
islands, and when all the boats have
arrived they cruise around the bay and
patiently watch the smooth surface of
the water for the black, glistening
head of their game. Sometimes weeks
are spent in this way without a sign
of an otter, but the Aleut has the
knack of waiting patiently down about
as fine as any person on earth.
When an otter is sighted the occu,
pant of the boat which is nearest the
animal holds up his paddle, the rest Of
the party Immediately take their places
so as to form an immense semi-circle,
: with its periphery seward and the
shore-line forming its chord. This be.
ing completed and the escape of the
otter cut off, the hunter who first saw
the animal cautiously approaches the
spot where he is expected to rise, and
: when near enough throws short
spear, with unerring aim, into its body
| the moment the animal comes in SIGHT
| The spear is so made that the head be.
: comes loosened from the staff upor
: striking an object, but is still attached
e to it by a long line of sinew. The Otter
4 Immediately dives and probably takes
: the entire spear down out of sight, bu
: the natives by long experience know
i the direction he will pursue and quickly
S paddle to the spot. When the ANNA
d rises for breath another spear il
= plunged into him. This goes on unit
# loss of blood and strength compel hin
+ to cease his struggles A boat is thel
e brought alongside and he is dispatched
# taken on shore and skinned, or if to,
e far away from land this work is accom-
n plished in the boat itself The work o
e skinning an otter in one of the small
i 6idGrkas of the Aleuts seemed to me al
n absolute impossibility, but am assure,
o by good authority that it is often don
+ by the natives. When the sea is rougI
It two boats are dashed side by side cata
d maran fashion, thus securing create
e stability. Sea-otter hunting was pun
e sued with success along the whole eS
70 tent of the Aleutian Islands in the earl
days of the Territory, but latterly tn
area of distribution of the animals seem
gradually to have contracted, so that
IL hardly pays to hunt them west {
Oonalaska Island at the present day
'e The Choumagin Islands, a group lyin
u just south of the Alaskan peninsuls
l. and close to the eastern extremity {
the Aleutian group, is the center of tn
otter-hunting grounds. A peculiarit
N of the animal is that it seems to have II
IN regular breeding season.-John CasSi
CdntlCeH. in San Francisco Chronict
= Hygiene Versus Medicine.
S. Tho Jarolop,,,on& of so,,,to,.,- ,o.ox,